Group Behaviour

Question 1

What is a group?

Answer 1

A collection of two or more people who
interact with each other and are
interdependent, in the sense that their
needs and goals cause them to rely on
each other

Question 2

What are some common characteristics of a group?

Answer 2

usually have 2-6 members, tend to be alike, group cohesiveness and have clear social norms and well defined social roles

Question 3

Why are groups beneficial?

Answer 3

provide care for offspring, protection from predators and increased efficiency

Question 4

What is social facilitation?

Answer 4

the effect, positive or negative, of the presence of others on performance

Question 5

What is the theory of mere presence?

Answer 5

The theory states that the mere presence of others increases a person’s general drive, which leads to increased arousal

Question 6

What is social loafing?

Answer 6

The tendency to exert less effort when working on a group task in which individual contributions cannot be monitored

Question 7

What does increased arousal result in according to the mere exposure theory?

Answer 7

This arousal makes it more likely that a person will respond in a dominant way, which is a response with the greatest habit strength.

Question 8

What is a dominant response?

Answer 8

In a person’s hierarchy of possible responses in any context, the response that person is most likely to make

Question 9

What is the result of the dominant response in simple tasks?

Answer 9

dominant response is often correct and preformances increases

Question 10

What is the result of the dominant response in complex tasks?

Answer 10

the dominant response is more likely incorrect and performance decreases

Question 11

Why does the presence of others increase arousal?

Answer 11

mere presence of others arouses us because we become more alert

Question 12

What is distraction conflict theory?

Answer 12

suggests that when a person is trying to focus on a task, being aware of another object creates a conflict between attending to the task and the object. This conflict can lead to attentional conflict, which in turn can increase drive

Question 13

What are key factors of social loafing?

Answer 13

group size, task importance and expectations

Question 14

How does group size affect social loafing?

Answer 14

larger groups often lead to more social loafing

Question 15

How does task importance affect social loafing?

Answer 15

perceived lack of importance can decrease individual effort

Question 16

How does expectations affect social loafing?

Answer 16

Reduced effort if others are perceived to be disengaged

Question 17

How to reduce social loafing?

Answer 17

make the task challenging, appealing or involving, making people believe that high effort will bring rewards and forming bonds between group members

Question 18

What is group think?

Answer 18

A kind of thinking in which maintaining
group cohesiveness and solidarity is more
important that considering the facts in a
realistic manner

Question 19

What are antecedent conditions of groupthink?

Answer 19

isolation, directive leadership, homogeneity and stress

Question 20

What are the 8 symptoms of group think?

Answer 20

direct pressure, illusion of invulnerability, illusion of unanimity, mindguards, rationalizing, self-censorship, stereotyping, unquestioned beliefs

Question 21

How can group leaders prevent group think?

Answer 21

group leaders should refrain from making their opinions known, make sure the group isnt cut off from outside input and designate a devil’s advocate

Question 22

What is group polarization?

Answer 22

The tendency for group decisions to be more extreme than those made by individuals; whatever way the group as a whole is leaning, group discussion tends to make it lean further in that direction

Question 23

Why does group polarization happen?

Answer 23

persuasive arguments account and social comparison interpretation

Question 24

What is persuasive arguments account?

Answer 24

an analysis of group polarization that assumes that the opinions of group members discussing an issue or choice will tend to become more extreme when a majority of the members favor a particular position, because the group will generate more arguments favoring the majority position

Question 25

What is social comparison interpretation?

Answer 25

, individuals may shift their views to adopt more extreme positions because they want to be seen as strongly adhering to group values or outdoing others in their commitment to the group’s stance

Question 26

What is the bystander effect?

Answer 26

the more
people present, the less likely any one
person will attempt to help

Question 27

What is diffusion of responsibility?

Answer 27

we are less likely to assist in a large group
because responsibility to help is shared

Question 28

What is power?

Answer 28

the abiloty to control your own outcomes and the outcomes of others

Question 29

What are the vitues of gaining power?

Answer 29

courage, humanity, justice and temperance

Question 30

What are the vices of gaining power?

Answer 30

machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy

Question 31

How does cult indoctrination occur?

Answer 31

behaviour rituals, public recruitment and fundraising

Question 32

What is the approach/inhibition theory?

Answer 32

A theory maintaining that high-power individuals are inclined to go after their goals and make quick (sometimes rash) judgments, whereas low-power individuals are more likely to constrain their behavior and pay careful attention to others

Question 33

How did JIm Jones use the foot in the door technique with his cult members?

Answer 33

First he took 10% of their income, then 25% then finally everything that members owned

Question 34

What elements persuade people to join cults?

Answer 34

Charismatic leader, recruited by friends/family members, vivid messages, personal testimonies, emotional messages and distractions, young people under 25, those at turning points in life, times of social or economic upheaval

Question 35

How does group influence persude members to join cults?

Answer 35

Isolation and seperation from social supports

Question 36

What is folie a deux?

Answer 36

a shared delusional disorder where symptoms of a delusional belief are transmitted from one individual to another

Question 37

What is deindividuation?

Answer 37

a social psychological concept that describes the loss of self-awareness and identity that can occur when people are in a group or crowd